A rural town once still because of the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be bustling again as organizers of the Common Ground Country Fair announced it will hold the event in-person in the fall.
“It was just a regular weekend in Unity, except it was worse because everything was closed,” Penny Sampson, a Unity town selectman, said of 2020. “It was a very quiet weekend.”
Before the pandemic, roughly 60,000 visitors traveled to Unity each year to attend Maine’s most extensive agricultural fair. After going virtual in 2020, organizers expect a similar number of visitors to return to the Unity fairgrounds for the Sept. 24 to 26 event.
In late May, the state lifted all capacity limits and physical distancing requirements for indoor and outdoor gatherings.
“We are excited that things are getting back to normal and events can be held in town again,” Sampson said.
Tickets go on sale for Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners members on Aug. 2, and to the general public on Aug. 9. The annual event provides a marketplace for local farmers, vendors and artisans, as well as educational talks and exhibitions.
“We are going to be watching the attendance to make sure people are comfortable, so we’re asking people to purchase or reserve their tickets in advance,” said April Boucher, director of the Common Ground Country Fair.
Those who do not wish to attend the in-person event will have the option to participate online.
“That way for those who don’t want to or can’t come to the fair in person can still hear the keynote speakers,'' Boucher said. “It’s something we got a lot of positive feedback on.”
In addition to monitoring attendance, Boucher says visitors will have access to additional sanitation units and self-contained outhouses throughout the fairgrounds.
Attendees can also expect to see a change in layout to allow for more distance between the 650-plus vendors and exhibitions.
“Where there’s high-congestion areas we’re really doing a lot of pre-planning making sure things are spread out,” said Meg Nadeau, coordinator of the Common Ground Country Fair. ”We are just trying to reduce the lines and help people get through the fair in a safe way.”
Common Ground Country Fair officials say popular events like the community contra dance and face painting for children will not be part of its programming, but that is subject to change as the pandemic in Maine continues to be monitored.
“We want to create an enriching and engaging fair experience for everyone, but we also want it to be a safe and healthy experience,” Boucher said.
Sampson said traffic is a potential issue during that weekend because visitors “do come from all over.”
The Farwell Bridge, commonly known as the Barry Road Bridge, is closed indefinitely for construction. The road is travelled by locals during the fair weekend as a way to avoid fair congestion on Route 139.
“We’ll see how it turns out if the community is concerned about people coming into the area,” Sampson said.